Centrifugal pump



Feb. 14, 1961 H. w. MoDoNlEL CENTRIFUGAL. PUMP Filed May 11, 1956 uUnited States CENTRIFUGAL PUMP "Harold W. McDoniel, Rivera, Calif.,assignor, by inmesne assignments, to Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas,rex., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 11, 1956, Ser. No. 584,293

" Claims. (Cl. 10S- 104) vprovided with a double axial intake, it beingunderstood 'that the invention is not to be regarded as limitedspeciiically thereto and that various features of the invention may beembodied in other constructions.

The housing of such a centrifugal pump is conventionally divided orsplit into two parts in a plane containing the axis of impellerrotation, and is conventionally provided with a series of four boresspaced apart along such axis, the impeller being located between the twointermediate bores of the series and being rotatable in impellerbearings set in such intermediate bores, and the impeller shaft beingrotatable in shaft bearings carried by end closures covering the endbores of the series and secured tto the housing.

. Conventionally, the end closures are simply seated against the ends ofthe housing, i.e., they are provided with inwardly facing annularshoulders which are seated against external, outwardly facing annularshoulders encircling the end bores. With this construction, numerousbolts, or the like, are required to secure the end closures to thehousing since the pressure within the housing acting axially outwardlyon the end closures tends to unseat them.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a pumpwherein the housing is provided with internal,

inwardly facing annular shoulders around the end bores therein, andwherein the end closures are provided with annular` anges which arelocated within the housing and which include outwardly `facing annularshoulders seated 'on the inwardly facing annular shoulders around theend bores. With this construction, the internal pressure acting axiallyon the end closures merely seats them more firmly against the internal,inwardly facing annular shoulders around the end bores so that the endclosures may be only lightly secured to the ends of the housing andstill maintain fluid-tight seals, which is an important feature of theinvention.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a pump housing,and particularly a centrifugal pump housing, wherein two end bores inwhich the end closures are set and two intermediate bores in which theimpeller bearings are set are all of the same diameter so that `allrvice four bores may be machined with the same boring tool in one passthrough the housing. With this construction, the housing may be machinedvery easily and inexpensive` ly and, more important, machining the boresin question in this manner results in extremely accurate alignmentthereof so that, when the impeller bearings are set in the twointermediate bores and when the end closures carrying the shaft bearings'are set in the two end bores, accurate axial alignment of all of thebearings is attained automatically, which is an important feature of theinvention.

Another object of the invention is to provide end closures havingoutwardly extending outriggers thereon which carry the two impellershaft bearings.

Another object is to provide end closures having inwardly convergent,arcuate annular internal surfaces forming suction cones for guiding theiiuid to the impeller smoothly, both the end closures being providedwith such integral suction cones in the base of a double axialintakeimpeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide end closures carryingshaft seals engageable with the impeller shaft to prevent leakage fromthe housing along the irripeller shaft.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and results of the presentinvention together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will become apparent, may be attained with theexemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and described in detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a centrifugal pump which embodies the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken approximately along thearrowed line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail duplicating a portion of Fig. 2 of thedrawing. n

In the drawing, the numeral 10 designates the housing of a centrifugalpump having a double axial intake impeller 12 fixed on an impeller shaft14. The housing lll is divided or split into two parts 16 and 18 in aplane containing the axis of rotation of the impeller 12, the two partsof the housing respectively being provided with iianges 20 and 22secured together by bolts 24.` The lower part 1S of the housing 10 isprovided with a split inlet 26 leading to two axially spaced inletchambers 28, and is provided with an outlet 30 communicating with anoutlet chamber 32 which is located between the inlet chambers and inwhich the impeller 12 is disposed. As is well known in the art, fluidentering the housing 10 through the inlet 26 flows into the inletchambers 28 and is drawn into the double axial intake impeller 12 fromboth ends thereof, the uid discharged by the impeller iiowing into theoutlet chamber 32 and thence into the outlet 30.

The housing 10 is provided with a series of four spaced, aligned boresof the same diameter extending from one end of the housing to the other,the intermediate bores of the series being identified by the numeral 34and the end bores thereof being identified by the numeral 36. Ashereinbefore indicated, since these bores are of the same diameter, theymay be formed in a single traverse through the housing 10 with a singleboring tool, which is an irriportant feature. 4

. 3 Y t The impeller 12 is rotatably mounted in bearings 38 set in theintermediate bores 34, each bearing 38 including an inner bearingannulus 40 secured to the impeller, as by being pressed thereon, andincluding an outer bearing annulus 42. Each outer bearing annulus 42 isprovided with an external annular rib 44 disposed in an internal annulargroove in the corresponding bore 34, and is prevented from rotating by apin 46 extending thereinto.

The end bores 36 are closed by end closures 48 which 'are installedprior to placing 'the upper part 16 of the `housing in position on thelower part 18 thereof, the -end closures having annular flanges 50within the housing. These annular flanges provide outwardly facingannular shoulders 52 which are seated against inwardly facing annularshoulders 54 on annular flanges 56 of the housing 10 around the endbores 36, annular sealing elements 58 being disposed between theshoulders 52 and 54 in grooves in the shoulders 52. With thisconstruction, the pressure within the housing seats the ange 50 on theend closures 48 firmly against the flanges 56 on the housving 10 toprovide duid-tight seals, the end closures being secured to the housingrelatively lightly by a relatively few bolts 60, for example. As anillustration, each end .closure may be secured in place adequately by nomore .than four of the bolts 60, as, contrasted to the large number ofbolts required to secure each end closure in place in a conventionalpump wherein the end closures are simply seated against the exterior ofthe housing, which is an important feature of the invention.

Each end closure 48 is provided with an inwardly convergent, arcuateannular surface 62 thereon for guiding the fluid tiow into the ends ofthe impeller 12 smoothly. Thus, the end closures 48 provide integralsuction cones, which is an important feature.

The end closures 48 are provided with outwardly extending arms oroutriggers 64 having axial cavities 66 therein for shaft bearings 68 inwhich the impeller shaft 14 is rotatably mounted, the cavities 66 beingclosed by end caps 70 to retain the bearings in the cavities. One ofthese end caps is provided with a central opening therethrough for theshaft 14 so that the shaft may be driven from an external power source,not shown. The end closures 48 also carry shaft seals 74 which engagesleeves 76 keyed to the shaft 14 and suitably sealed 'with respectthereto, as by O-rings 78. 4

As hereinbefore indicated, another important feature of the invention isthat by making the intermediate bores 34 and the end bores 36 all of thesame diameter, they may be formed by the same boring tool in a singleoperation to obtain extremely accurate alignment thereof. Consequently,when the impeller bearings 38 are set in the intermediate bores 34 andwhen the end closures 48 carrying the shaft bearings 68 are set in theend bores 36, accurate alignment of all of the bearings is insured,which is an important feature of the invention.

Although I have disclosed an exemplary embodiment of my inventionherein, it will be understood that various changes, modifications andsubstitutions may be incorporated in the embodiment disclosed and thatvarious features of the invention may be utilized n other environmentsall without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theclaims hereinafter appearing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having an impeller on saidshaft means; and two annular sealing means respectively engaging saidend closures and engaging said shaft means to prevent leakage from' saidhousing between said shaft means and the peripherles'of said openings,respectively, each of said annular sealing' means comprising annularpackings means carried by the corresponding end closure.

2. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having' two axially spacedend bores respectively encircled by inwardly facing annular shoulders,said housing being divided into two parts in a plane containing the axisof said bores; two one-piece end closures respectively closing said endbores and provided with outwardly facing annular shoulders respectivelyseated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, said end closuresrespectively having openings therethrough which are axially aligned; animpeller shaft extending through said housing into said openings; animpeller on said impeller shaft within said housing; two annular sealingmeans respectively engaging said end closures and engaging said shaft toprevent leakage from said housing between said shaft and theperipheriesof said openings, respectively, each of said,annular sealing meanscomprising annular packing means carried by the corresponding endclosure; and two shaft bearings carried by said end closures andengaging said shaft.

3. In a pump, the combination of: a housing having two axially spacedend bores respectively encircled by inwardly facing annular shoulders,said housing being divided into two parts in a plane containing the`axis of said bores; two one-piece end closures respectively closingsaid end bores and provided with outwardly facing ari-- nular shouldersrespectively seated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, saidend closures respectively having openings therethrough which are axiallyaligned; an impeller shaft extending through said housing into saidopenings; an impeller on said impeller shaft within said housing, saidimpeller having two radially-outwardlyfacing annular surfaces; twoannular sealing means respectively engaging said end closures andengaging said shaft to prevent leakage from said housing between vsaidshaft and the peripheries of said openings, respectively, each of saidannular sealing means comprising annular packing means carried by thecorresponding end closure; two shaft bearings respectively carried bysaid end closures and engaging said shaft; and two impeller bearingscarried by said housing and respectively engaging saidradially-outwardly-facing annular surfaces of said impeller.

4. In a pump, the combination of: a housing provided with a series ofspaced, aligned bores of the same diameter extending axially of saidhousing from one end thereof to the other; an impeler shaft extendingaxially through said series of bores; an impeller on said shaft Withinsaid housing and having a radially-outwardly facing annular surface; animpeller bearing set in at least one intermediate bore of said seriesand engaging said radially-outwardly-facing annular surface of saidimpeller; end closures for said housing respectivey fitting in andclosing the end bores of said series; and shaft bearings carried by saidend closures and engaging said shaft.

5. In a pump, the combination of: a housing provided with a series offour spaced, aligned bores of the same diameter extending axially ofsaid housing'from one end thereof to the other, said housing beingprovided with two inwardly facing, annular shoulders respectivelyencircling the end bores of said series, said housing being divided in aplane containing the axis of said bores; an impeller shaft extendingaxially through said series of bores; an impeller on said shaft betweenthe two intermediate bores of said series, said impeller having tworadially-outWardly-fac-ing annular surfaces; two impeller bearingsrespectively set .in the. two. intermediate .bores of said series andrespectively engaging said radiallyoutwardly-facing annular surfaces ofsaid impeller; two one-piece end closures for said housing respectivelyset in the wd bores of said series, said end closures`respec tivelybeing provided with outwardly facing annular shoulders respectivelyseated against said inwardly facing annular shoulders, said end closuresrespectively having openings therethrough which are axially aligned andinto which said shaft extends; two annular sealing means respectivelyengaging said end closures and engaging said shaft to prevent leakagefrom said housing between said shaft and the peripheries of saidopenings, respectively, each of said annular sealing means comprisingannular packing means carried by the corresponding end closure;

and two shaft bearings respectively carried by said end closures andengaging said shaft.

References Cited in the lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,109,393 Blackstead Sept. 1, 1914 1,334,461 Kerr Mar. 23, 1920`1,591,447 Planck et al. July 6, 1926 2,661,698 Schellens Dec. 8, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS 186,243 Great Britain Sept. 28, 1922 316,034 Italy Mar.15, 1934

